Vertical Farms
Water is scarce, so when it comes to farming, especially farming in cities, a smart approach is needed. UrbanLab’s design of a high-tech, low-water vertical farm could help supply approximately 50,000 meals every day to Chicagoans. The process is "season-less" and grows produce 365 days a year. Plants grow in modular containers and feed on a nutrient solution instead of soil. When available, the sun feeds the plants, and when unavailable, LED grow lights are used. Sensors for every single plant track nutrient levels, and temperature and humidity. The building is shaped like a long, ramping coil to allow farmers to wheel carts and other heavy equipment without obstacles (such as stairs) between floors. The Chicago Stock Yards were chosen as the site. From the Civil War until the 1920s, more meat was processed in the Stock Yards than in any other place in the world. An important goal of the project is to revitalize food production, and deliver a renewed aesthetic and urban agricultural identity to this once-renowned Chicago district.
